Coast Guard medevacs citizen of India from tanker offshore Oahu

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point lowers a rescue swimmer onto an oil tanker 14 miles south of Oahu, Aug. 10, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Ron Green/Released)

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard medevaced a 45-year-old citizen of India from an oil tanker 12 miles south of Oahu, Wednesday.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point safely hoisted the man from the 1,050-foot Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Andromeda Voyager at 7 a.m. and transferred him to Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu.

Personnel aboard the ship contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center at 11 a.m. Saturday requesting assistance for a crewmember presenting heart attack symptoms. The vessel was 1,438 miles from Oahu at the time headed toward the U.S. from Southeast Asia and elected to divert their course toward Honolulu.

A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted and recommended the vessel continue toward Honolulu. The man’s condition was stable and plans were made to get him to shore via water taxi. However, when his condition began to deteriorate it was decided that a hoist would be conducted when the vessel arrived 14 miles offshore of Oahu to expedite his access to a higher level of medical care.

The Dolphin aircrew launched from Air Station Barbers Point at 5:45 a.m. and conducted the hoist at 6:35 a.m. He was delivered to awaiting emergency medical personnel in stable condition.